April 6, 2026
Good morning! Coming to you this morning from Augusta, Georgia (U.S.) Peanuts, Peaches, Pecans… and Loblolly Pines Even with trillion$ of dollars, you cannot manufacture enough snow — yet — to build a destination skiing mecca in Saudi Arabia. (The attempt is real, but now on hold.) You know that feeling when after an hour or more of fear, frustration, and thumbling — passwords, user names, secret codes — you finally get an application to work?! We’re going back to the moon!
- Most decisions are made from an emotional perspective — back-filled later with logic.
- It’s rarely the other way around; e.g., a Volvo would be the safest and best car to drive…. Later: hmmm, I really LOVE this car.
- In other words, to drive a Volvo was, is and will remain a logical choice. Rare among humans.
- On the other hand, to drive a Corvette, or a Mustang, or a Mazda, or a BMW, or a Lamborghini, or an assault vehicle… rarely would that decision start with logic.
- Spring it is… firsts of the season:
- First Caipirinha — and those are so refreshingly delicious, you need to take great care.
- First pecan smoked chicken drums on the outdoor griddle — without having to rush back indoors 20 times to get warm.
- First old fashioned farm-inspired potato salad.
- Can’t declare margarita season open because I’m completely out of tequila, got none.
- Sticks, tree branches, and prairie debris airlifted outta here – thanks to generous friends.
- Chives are up… Daffodils are up… tulips are up… day lilies are up… lots of stuff is up.
- The sap is still running, intermittently.
- Snow-on-the-Mountain is up — even on the north side, go figure.
- First time sitting for a spell in the sunshine in the front yard — doing nothing but sitting.
- The net is back up and the neighborhood kids are out with their tennis rackets, and…
- … next door in the ice rink the kids — and sometimes adults — play hockey on roller skates (more than who did so on ice), and…
- …. wait for it… the Hallmarks have switched from LoveUary to Spring Into Love.
- Leaders sometimes lose the room in high-stakes meetings
- Why? A leader’s messaging can become distorted when s/he is under pressure — inadvertently shutting people out or turning them off. (Duarte)
- Under pressure, thinking processes that are usually strengths can become weaknesses.
- For example:
- Precision and clarity might unintentionally communicate: Step back, your insights and opinions aren’t needed right now.
- Speed and forward motion might unintentionally communicate: This decision has already been made, stay out of it.
- Shared responsibility or collaboration might unintentionally communicate: I have no idea what to do.
- Creativity and discovery might unintentionally communicate: There is still a lot of uncertainty and confusion about what to do, folks.
- What to do?
- Be prepared. Anticipate challenges. Anticipate how pressure will distort strengths and then design safeguards. Reflect upon your failures.
- Build in explicit moments to test understanding, not just accuracy.
- Force a pause… signal that real input is still welcome
- Clarify process. Do not be unclear about who is advising, who is deciding, who is implementing.
- Think out loud and state your openness to new options; clarify ideas that are still fluid and what decisions are firm.
- Organizational success happens in moments when people understand what matters, what is changing, and what they are being asked to do. (Ibid.)
- If you are leading a high-performing organization, pause for a moment.
- Performance grows organizations.
- Reflection is what strengthens and sustains them. (Blackburn Freeth)
- The fastest horse must still stop for water, rest, grooming, and food — or it will die, almost without any advance warning.
- Whether by foraging or hunting & gathering or some other process, humans need food (and clean water) to survive.
- Geography, politics, economics, climate, technology, logistics, and a whole bunch of other stuff are factors which concern all of us.
- China has the most agricultural land, with ~two million square miles
- The United States, Australia, and Brazil are next in terms of capacity — with big chunks of urban sprawl negatively impacting rural green belts daily. (Cohen, Etc., et al.)
- By continent, Asia has by far the most land available for agriculture — followed by Africa. (Note to self: These data count Russia as Europe, go figure.)
- IMHO, technology MIGHT be the most important variable in the coming century — especially if we learn to control the weather and pollutants.
- Has the sustainable, rechargeable battery problem finally been solved… by Finland no less?
- Stay tuned: Next week (if we remember!) we will feature news from Finland and its revolutionary solid state battery…
